Rapid response vest

ABSTRACT

Disclosed are embodiments of high-visibility, lightweight, portable, compact, easily concealable identifier apparatus for use by law enforcement officers in plainclothes when an active shooter situation arises so as to reduce the risk of death or injury from misidentification as a potential perpetrator. This wearable vest apparatus allows the user unfettered access to both chest and belt-mounted equipment.

CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/859,154, filed 9 Jun. 2019.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not applicable.

MICROFICHE APPENDIX

Not applicable.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

At least some embodiments disclosed herein relate, in general, to the field of wearable identification apparatus and systems.

2. Background

The following background information is intended solely for illustrative purposes, and in no way should be construed as a limitation on the teachings or any embodiments disclosed herein.

An active shooter is an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. Active shooter situations are dynamic, unpredictable, and evolve quickly. In most cases active shooters use one or more firearms and display no pattern or method for selection of their victims.

Not infrequently, law enforcement officers in plainclothes or civilians with permits to carry concealed weapons may be on the scene and attempt to engage an active shooter with a firearm. This presents a heightened risk that law enforcement officers responding to the scene could mistake a fellow law enforcement officer or a law-abiding civilian with a firearm for an active shooter and injure or kill that person.

Wearable identification means that may be donned in active shooter situations by law enforcement officers in plainclothes or civilians with permits to carry concealed weapons may perform less than optimally in terms of maximizing visibility and being recognizable to first responders. They may also be cumbersome and interfere with the movement of the wearer so as to impair access to, and use of, defensive or lifesaving chest or belt-mounted equipment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Front perspective view of an embodiment of a vest with straps as fasteners.

FIG. 2 Rear perspective view of an embodiment of a vest with straps as fasteners.

FIG. 3 Front perspective view of an embodiment of a vest being worn.

FIG. 4 Front perspective view of an embodiment of a vest featuring universal extender straps.

FIG. 5 Front perspective view of an embodiment of a vest featuring cords as fasteners.

FIG. 6 Perspective view of an embodiment of a vest folded compactly in a deployment-ready state.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding. However, in certain instances, well-known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. References to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” in the present disclosure are not necessarily references to the same embodiment; and, such references mean at least one.

Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” or “a particular embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” or substantially similar phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodime nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.

FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate respectively, in front and rear perspective views, one embodiment of a Rapid Response Vest, being a wearable identification apparatus. FIG. 3 illustrates how when worn, a vest 101 sits about the shoulders of the wearer, which may reduce the potential for binding to the clothing of the wearer and other problems that could inhibit dangerously the movement of the wearer and access to, and use of, lifesaving and defending equipment.

In the embodiment presented in FIG. 1-FIG. 3, a vest 101 comprises background material 102, identification panels 103, 201 having indicia of identification 104, 202, edging material 105 about an outer edge 106 and neckline 107 of the vest 101, and two fasteners, a left fastener 108 and a right fastener 109. One or more darts (not illustrated)—folds sewn into fabric to take in ease and provide shape to a garment—may be sewn into the left shoulder 110 and right shoulder 111 of a vest 101 to ensure proper seating while being worn. When laid flat, a vest 101 may be approximately 21 inches in length, as measured from outer edge front to rear, by 14⅞ inches in width, as measured by outer edge from left to right.

Background material 102 may be comprised of an American National Standards Institute (ASNI)-rated High-Visibility (HiVis) lightweight breathable mesh treated with a fire-retardant, self-extinguishing coating, and may be one of a variety of colors—e.g., yellow, green, orange, red, blue—as a potential aid in identifying specific classes of persons. Edging material 105 may be comprised of bias tape and sewn along the outer edge 106 and the neckline 107 of a vest 101.

Identification panels 103, 201 may comprise an ASNI-rated HiVis reflective material that contrasts with the color of the background material 102. By way of example, but not limitation, an identification panel 103, 201 may be silver, against green background material 102, with black letters of an alphabet, which may be printed or otherwise affixed thereon, as indicia of identification 104. Identification panels 103, 201 may be centered horizontally on both the front (FIG. 1) and the rear (FIG. 2) of a vest 101. The positioning of the identification panels 103, 201 and their indicia of identification 104 thus may be made to conform generally to the common placement of identifying lettering on virtually all currently deployed first responder and military wearable identification systems, and approximate somewhat the look and feel of those other identification systems so as not to appear out of place alongside first responders and military. Low light visibility of a vest 101 may be enhanced further by weaving light-emitting diodes (LEDs) into a vest 101.

As reflected in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, each of the two fasteners 109, 110 in this embodiment are comprised of two straps, which may be made of nylon. A first strap 112 for the left fastener 109 may be sewn into the lower left front corner 114 of the vest 101 and a second strap 113 for the left fastener 109 may be sewn into the lower left rear corner 115 of the vest 101, and said straps coupled together by a left buckle 116. Similarly, a first strap 117 for the right fastener 110 may be sewn into the lower right front corner 119 and a second strap 118 for the right fastener 110 may be sewn into the lower right rear corner 120 of the vest, and said straps coupled together by a right buckle 121. These buckles 116, 121 may be heavy duty side release buckles with corresponding male and female components. The buckles 116, 121 allow a vest 101 to be adjusted to fit and secured to as may be required by the wearer.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, where straps are used to construct the two fasteners 109, 110, a universal extender strap 301, 302 may be interposed between the first strap 113, 118 and second strap 114, 119 of each fastener 109, 110 to accommodate larger persons or bulky outerwear. Where heavy duty side release buckles are used, one end of a universal extender strap 302 will have a male buckle component 303 to engage a female buckle component 305 of a strap, and the other end will have a female buckle component 304 to engage a male buckle component 306 of a strap.

FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment which comprises a plurality of cords 501 as fasteners which may be secured to the vest 101 by passing the cords 501 through grommets 502 inserted into a vest 101. Cords 501 may be comprised of reflective micro cord. Cord fasteners 503, which may be spring-loaded tension cord fasteners or single cord locks, allowing the user to adjust the fit of the vest 101.

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a vest 101 when folded compactly for deployment. A vest 101 in its deployment-ready state is highly portable, needs no dedicated case, and is therefore easily concealed and may be kept in a pocket or other convenient location about the person. 

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a foldable vest with an outer edge and a neckline, said foldable vest comprised of a background material, edging material about said outer edge and said neckline, front and rear identification panels, indicia of identification, a left fastener and a right fastener.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, in which the background material is comprised of an ASNI-rated HiVis breathable mesh treated with a fire-retardant, self-extinguishing coating, the edging material is comprised of bias tape and sewn along said outer edge and said neckline, the front and rear identification panels are comprised of ASNI-rated HiVis reflective material that contrasts with the color of said background material, and the indicia of identification are black letters.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the fasteners are comprised of nylon straps and buckles.
 4. The apparatus of claim 3, in which the buckles are heavy duty side release buckles with corresponding male and female components.
 5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising a plurality of universal extender straps.
 6. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the fasteners are comprised of reflective micro cord passed through grommets in the vest and fastened with spring-loaded tension cord fasteners.
 7. The apparatus of claim 2, in which the fasteners are comprised of reflective micro cord passed through grommets in the vest and fastened with single cord locks.
 8. An apparatus comprising: a foldable vest with an outer edge and a neckline, said foldable vest comprised of a background material encompassing an ASNI-rated HiVis breathable mesh treated with a fire-retardant, self-extinguishing coating, bias tape sewn about said outer edge and said neckline, front and rear identification panels comprised of ASNI-rated HiVis reflective material that contrasts with the color of said background material, indicia of identification comprising black letters, a left fastener and a right fastener, each of said fasteners comprised of two straps sewn into said vest with a buckle for joining the straps, and configured to accept a universal extender strap. 